SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Nov. 25, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Police said Wednesday a 63-year-old woman stabbed on a TRAX train platform in Salt Lake City Friday is now in stable condition.
“The victim, Priscilla Elahian, aka Priscilla Adams, is now listed in stable condition and improving,” said a statement from Utah Transit Authority spokesman Carl Arky.
“The victim had been residing at to the Geraldine King Women’s Shelter, located at 131 E. 700 South. The last time the victim had stayed there was on Nov. 15.”
Elahian was initially in critical condition after what appeared to be an unprovoked attack, Arky told Gephardt Daily.
The suspect, Michael Nimmo, 50, is being held on suspicion of:
- Murder (attempted), a first-degree felony
- Aggravated assault, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated kidnapping, a third-degree felony
- Failure to disclose identity, a class B misdemeanor
Police were dispatched to the scene Friday, at about 200 West and 900 South, after witnesses said a woman had been attacked and had numerous knife wounds, according to a probable cause statement.
Officers, who arrived at about 4:41 p.m., found Elahian and began applying pressure to stem the bleeding from multiple stab wounds. The she was rushed woman to the University of Utah Hospital with life threatening injuries.
After reviewing Utah Transit Authority surveillance video, police identified a suspect matching the description of the attacker nearby at about 5:19 p.m. When police detained him, he identified himself as A.B. Smith, officers said.
Police said the video shows the suspect pulling out his knife from the right side of his black sweatpants pocket. He is seen opening the folding knife and then concealing it by folding his arms.
The video shows the victim walking toward a ticket-vending machine on the north end of the platform, the statement said.
“The suspect is then seen following right behind her,” the statement said. The victim bends down to grab what appears to be a ticket in the machine, when the suspect puts his left arm around her head. This occurs around 16:38 hours. The suspect’s right arm appears to be in front of the victim when all of a sudden the victim jerks back.
“The suspect is then seen holding onto the victim and not letting her go. He straddles her and pushes her up against the ticket machine and puts his head close to hers.”
Several witnesses walked nearby, the statement said.
“The victim is seen dropping the grocery bags she had with her,” the statement said. “And this is when the suspect is seen repeatedly stabbing the victim, while still holding his left arm around her neck area,” the affidavit said. “The victim quickly falls to the ground on her back and is seen pulling up her left hand to block the attacks.”
Witnesses begin to approach, the video shows, and the suspect quickly walks away.
Nimmo was identified from a previous jail booking photo, although warrants for his blood and fingerprints were also issued.
Nimmo declined to speak to officers without an attorney, and he is being held without bail.
